Movie 5 Tales From the Hood (1995)This anthology film is surprisingly really good. The stories hit a nice balance between being enjoyable horror and actually dealing with some social issues most specifically racism, child abuse, and police corruption. Look for Wings Hauser as a racist cop and David Allen Grier as an abusive boyfriend.Movie 6The Descent (2005) I had heard a lot of good things about this film but never got around to watching it until now. I thought it was pretty good, not really very scary though. Some nice performances and a great score add a lot to the proceedings.

Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) - a girl with psychic powers goes to a cabin at Crystal Lake with her evil psychiatrist and her mom. Meanwhile a group of hard-partying kids are having a great time next door. And there's another guy who could use a psychiatrist as well - that nasty old masked madman named Jason. Another favorite of mine, with really fun characters and the whole Carrie vs. Jason thing at the end is a hoot! It might be a little short on scares compared to the very best of the franchise, but I enjoyed it a lot anyway. 4.25/5.

This is a good example of 90s-era action-horror cheese: the gore is akin to "Greg Nicotero does Loony Tunes" and a lot of things explode, sometimes unnecessarily. There is one thing above all else that makes this a fun movie and that is Max Grodénchik's performance as Rumpy himself, complete with medieval dialogue, awful puns, and that awesome laugh. If he looks familiar with those brow ridges and teeth, think of a pair of Ferengi ears.

This is also one of the few movies in any genre where I can pin down my favorite part to a single scene and that is this gem right here:

The image of a goblin, in sunglasses, at night, on a motorcycle has got to be one of the best things to ever come out of a Hollywood writer's session. I would play that song in an endless loop all day if I had the option. And right after that he gets a truck. It only gets better.

Rating: Whoppers. Not my first choice out of the bag but certainly a favorite. If this movie is playing I will probably forget whatever it was that I was currently doing.

Watched Dark Shadows (2012) last night. Maybe not a horror movie in the strictest sense, but it does have ghosts, vampires, a witch, a werewolf and some grisly deaths. I've never watched the original series or the early-90s revival (this movie has actually convinced me to check them out), so I didn't really see it from a fan's point of view, but it was OK. Not the best teaming up of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, but I wasn't disappointed either, and their affection for the source material does come across.

I like that the movie is set in the same period when the original was made. Old TV shows tend to lose a lot when they are completely updated, and those big-screen adaptations that have worked generally found some way to preserve the feel of the original. And this one really did try to keep the feel of a 1960s-70s daytime soap opera, while adding the production values of a present-day movie.

If I had any complaints, I'd say the movie introduces more plot elements than it knows what to do with, and kind of loses its way through the middle. That, and there's maybe just a bit too much tongue-in-cheek humour, particularly the running gag of Barnabas Collins adjusting to life (undeath?) in 1972. It's funny, but it does get tiresome after a while. The movie does pull together pretty well for the climax and conclusion.

Overall, not bad. Certainly, as supernatural soap operas go, it beats the hell out of Twilight.

Today I saw the Unammable, a movie I remember seeing in the horror section of my youth many times but never got around to renting it. I don't regret watching it, like'd the nerdy guy, and the monster is pretty good, but it's pretty slow and doesn't amount to much. 5/10.

I watched Angry Red Planet last Night. I hadn't seen it in a few years, so I forgot much of the storyline but remembered liking it. This is one of those classics that are like b-movie comfort food. Gotta love that bat-rat-spider monster. My favorite line is when the pilot, who is a Humphrey Bogart clone, looks out the window of the ship and says "Judging from all the vegetation around, there's gotta be something alive out there."

Today I watched Santo vs. The She Wolves (Santo vs. Las Lobas). This was my first time watching this one, and it did not disappoint. It's got all the wackiness of your typical Santo flick. Not the best Santo movie, but not the worst either. My favorite line is when Santo, wearing his wrestling mask with his 70's slacks and casual dress shirt, knocks on the door of a villager and asks him if he has seen anything strange today.

Movie 7Of Unknown Origin Directed by George Cosmatos (Rambo 2, Tombstone) and starring Peter Weller (Robocop) this man vs beast film is an underrated horror flick shot in Montreal. Peter Weller seems to have it all a hot wife (Shannon Tweed) a kid and a beautiful home. When the wife and kid go away things start to go awry as he realizes his home has been invaded by a giant rat. Seriously this rat is the size of a giant cat and has a personal vendetta on Peter Weller. What we get here is a psychological thriller in the disguise of a creature feature. Weller does a great job portraying one man's descent into madness trying to defend his home. On the directing front we get some fantastic shots and nice camera movement. The effects of the rat are a combination of real rats and puppet work and are still pretty effective today. 4/5

The Woman in Black (1989)- TV film adaptation of story of by Susan Hill adapted for the screen by Nigel Kneale of Quatermass fame. I give this one my highest recommendation as one of the very best ghost stories put to film.

The Watcher in the Woods (1980) - Disney produced this horror/mystery thriller that actually takes yet another genre turn before it's all said and done. A good cast and interesting story keep it moving and there's many traditional horror elements here too. Bette Davis is on hand as a spooky old crone but all may not be quite as it seems.

Creepshow (1982) - Really fun horror anthology written by Stephen King and directed by George A. Romero brilliantly blends together creepy tales of horror but also gives them a darkly humorous bent. About as much fun as reading through your favourite old time EC Horror comics.

Devil Times Five (1974) (AKA: Peopletoys) - Exploitation horror slasher/thriller that takes an unexpected turn by having its killers be kids. Problematic and slow on many levels with a surprisingly high level of lechery and debauchery, there are some genuinely unsettling, cruel moments here and there that prove quite startling but they're never as effective as they ought to be because the characters are all so unlikable.

Devil's Partner (1958) - Unusual early horror/mystery thriller from 1958 that seems to more rightly belong to the 1960s has some startling unexpected scenes of ritual animal sacrifice and satanic worship. Still a likable cast of familiar faces (Edgar Buchanan, Richard Crane, Ed Nelson) make it entertaining enough albeit a little too easy and obvious to figure out.

The Devil's Hand (1962) - Laughably bad witchcraft film has too easily led astray hero (Robert Alda) enticed by beautiful blond she-witch vixen (played by Linda Christian) and getting involved with the cult of "Gamba, the great devil god!" led by the Grand Executioner as played by the one and only Neil Hamilton (Commissioner Gordon from Batman) who seems to be enjoying his role a little too much and camps in up with enthusiasm.

The Fly (1986) - I don't think I need to say too much about this 80s version of the 50s classic. Makeup and animatronics still look great. Cronenberg, as always, dishes up his special brand of body horror, as Seth Brundle transforms, falls apart and loses his humanity in both mind and body. And, of course, nobody plays a manic, quirky genius quite like Jeff Goldblum. His increasingly twitchy and fly-like performance really sells it.

Jason X (2001) - in the future the earth is all used up and everybody's moved to a new planet. But some college kids on a field trip to the old earth happen across Jason, cryogenically frozen and just waiting for some numbskulls to thaw him out I love this movie. Great characters, including the always awesome Lexa Doig. Lots of sci-fi action, a great sense of fun; don't get no better than this. 5/5.

Logged

I know that I am stupid but when I look around me I feel a lot better.

The Survivor: Robert Powell is the only survivor of a terrible plane crash. Now he is searching for answers with the help of a psychic (Jenny Agutter). Psychological mystery-drama-thriller-horror that doesn't always deliver. 3.5/5

Sole Survivor: Anita Skinner is the only survivor of a terrible plane crash. She ain't searching for answers but a former famous actress charged with psychic abilities is giving them to her anyway. Creepy and scary horror with excellent atmosphere, setting, acting and whatnot. 5/5

Caltiki: The Immortal Monster (1959) - The Italian Blob, directed in part by an uncredited Mario Bava. An expedition to some Mayan ruins discovers an incredibly ancient unicellular creature that apparently wiped out the Mayan civilization when supercharged by radiation from a passing comet (the same one due to pass by again very soon). Prior to that, the Mayans had worshipped the giant carnivorous blob as the goddess Caltiki. Kind of a cool story, but it drags terribly in the middle, and we only get relatively brief monster action at the beginning and end. That and the monster is really not all that difficult to kill. The movie mostly seems like a foreign Blob knockoff that only really succeeds by offering a nastier monster that kills more graphically. The pulsing, writhing Caltiki, with its appendages reaching out and grabbing victims before dissolving the flesh from their bones, is actually surprisingly similar to the Blob of 1988.